


Found Hearts Night

by diddledoop, pinkevilbob



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29436705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diddledoop/pseuds/diddledoop, https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: A romantic holiday is just around the corner and Jester is looking for the perfect gift for Caleb, but what if perfect isn't what he's looking for?
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Found Hearts Night

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentines Day! Okay so diddledoop and I decided to collab for Valentines Day. They did the mind blowing art and whipped my little fic into shape.

It was a quiet evening and promising to be a beautiful one. Essek had steeped a fresh pot of tea and curled up with a new book on Nicodranas that Caleb had lent him that promised to be a fascinating one. He couldn’t imagine a better night.

"ESSSSSEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!" Jester's bright, incessantly chipper voice blared in his ear. "Essek! I have an important question! What is Found Hearts Night? Is it fun? I saw a poster for a dance and it looks-"

Essek picked up the book he had thrown at the intrusion and took a moment to be grateful that he was not drinking his tea when Jester's Message came in. "Hello Jester. It is a holiday to celebrate love; new and old loves reuniting. People typically meet up under the biggest tree and exchange gifts." He avoided picking up his tea and waited for a response just in case.

"What kind of gifts?" Jester asked. "Is there a certain kind you have to give? Candy, flowers, jewelry? Or like erotica? Do do do do dooo do."

He could feel his face beginning to turn a bright purple, but he ignored it. Fortunately no one was there to see or make fun of him. "Nothing in particular. Just something that makes you think of your loved one. Do you want to come here and discuss it?" It was still awkward being friends with Jester and the rest of the Mighty Nein, but he did value the relationship, something he thought he would never do. Especially not with such a ….rambunctious group.

A long silence hung in the air and Essek picked up his tea. "Nope! Thanks for offering though!"

Essek startled so much he dumped his tea on his lap. "You're welcome," he sighed. After waiting long enough to guarantee the spell wouldn't pick it up, he added, "I hate that spell."

* * *

Jester blinked back her tears. It was going to be her first Found Hearts Night with Caleb, her almost boyfriend, and she had no idea what to get him. Essek had told her to get a gift that would mean something special to Caleb. She was tempted to paint Caleb a cat, but he could make himself a cat any day of the week- and his would be able to meow and move. And so Jester asked her friends.

"Just get him a book," Beau said, as Fjord nodded in agreement.

"He's very handsome," Veth said. "You could get him something he'd look good in. I got Yeza a speedo for our last holiday."

"Flowers," Yasha said, "that's what I gathered for my wife."

"He likes blueberries," Cad offered.

The problem of course being that Jester already knew all of that. Well except for Veth getting Yeza that speedo, but she really didn’t need to know that. Those were all things that Caleb liked, but none of them felt… special enough to her. She couldn’t think of anything else though.

So Jester went with all of their suggestions. A new book wrapped in a stylish scarf, complete with a mug of blueberry cocoa (Jester had gotten herself one too to make sure it was good) and a bouquet of tulips. It was all perfect, and she was sure that Caleb would be so thrilled to see such a lovely accumulation of all of his favorite things!

And then she tripped and dropped it right into a horrifically well placed mud puddle. Jester fought back tears as she tried to rescue the gifts, but it was too late. The mug was shattered and the bouquet smashed. Mud completely stained the scarf and the book was so waterlogged there was no saving it.

"No, no no no no no no," she whispered tearfully to herself. She hadn't even met up with Caleb yet under the tree on the Xhorhaus's roof yet and already his first Found Hearts Night was a disaster.

“Jester?” It was Caleb.

She hurriedly wiped away at any tears that had betrayed her and stood up. “Caleb!” Jester put on her brightest smile as she turned around. A careful step hid the ruined gifts behind her.

“What is the matter?” Caleb asked, taking a step forward.

“The matter? Nothing’s the matter. Everything’s great.” Jester could feel her lip tremble and Caleb just frowned at her. She never could hide anything from him. She gave a watery sigh. “Your gift might’ve gotten a little messy....” And with that the flood gates opened. “I had worked super hard to get you the perfect gift for your very first ever Found Hearts Night and it was going to be SO special and SO beautiful and I dropped it and now I’ve ruined it all for you!” she cried, big sloppy tears running down her face.

Caleb reached forward and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “You could never ruin anything for me.”

Jester stared up at him miserably. “But, your present?”

“Do you know the story?” Caleb asked, taking her by surprise. “About how Found Hearts Night started?”

Jester shook her head sniffling.

“Long, long ago, there were two lovers who cared for each other dearly, but could not be together for one reason or another. But despite this, their love was so deep that nothing could stop it, and they agreed to meet each other under the largest tree in the city. However when the day came, one of them never made it to the tree.”

A pout formed on Jester’s face. “Cay-leb! This is too sad for such a romantic holiday.”

Caleb held up a hand. “It is not over yet, be patient. Besides, I wasn’t the one who started it. It’s a Kryn holiday. Anyways, one never made it and their lover heard the terrible news that they had passed on. The remaining lover went to the largest tree every night, for the rest of their life. Years went by and a young consecuted elf went to the tree hoping against hope to see their former love, and there under the tree stood a handsome bugbear who lit up as soon as they arrived. And despite the time that had passed and how they each changed, they still loved each other fiercely, and swore never to part.” He paused, his expression softening as he gave her a smile. “Jester, I don’t care what you do or don’t give me. What is important to me is that it is you.”

“Really?” It came out as a gasp.

“Ja, really.” He leaned forward and sweetly kissed her. “You are the greatest gift I could ever be given.”


End file.
